You finish a workout, drink some water and immediately pound a protein shake. Seems like something we all do right? What if I were to tell you pounding protein shakes multiple times a day and taking supplements you can’t even pronounce the ingredients of isn’t needed?

Supplements are a fantastic tool for helping you reach your fitness goals! However, supplements are also exactly what the name implies they are to supplement your normal diet.

Do I Need supplements?

The answer to this is complicated although, ultimately the answer is no. With a regimented diet that follows a plan towards hitting your goals, you can happily achieve the fitness lifestyle without having to pay an extra cost. However, this can be very difficult to achieve unless you entirely restrict yourself from any “fun” foods and stay on track at all times.

Let’s be honest as college students we are likely to eat junk food at least on an occasional basis, why? It’s cheap, easy, and fills the need. However, what these foods don’t provide is the nutrients to further your fitness goals. This is where supplements can come in! Say you are short on your protein intake for the day, you can take a scoop of protein powder! Feeling sluggish and having no energy to take on a workout, take some pre-workout to boost yourself up! Supplements can be great for specific scenarios but never feel that you have to rely on them. These are simply here to help you on the days when you need a little extra help hitting your dietary goals.

Are Supplements Expensive?

The short answer is yes! Long answer Yes/No. Depending on what supplements you are taking the costs can vary greatly, however, some of the most expensive are pre-workout and BCAA’s with the cheaper ones being protein powder which has a large initial cost but is cheaper per serving, and creatine. Funding these supplements can become very expensive which is why you prioritize what you need and don’t need.

What supplements should I take?

While you should speak with your doctor on what supplements are best for you, My personal recommendation is to certainly use protein powder and creatine, all other supplements are optional and can be prioritized through your diet. Here is what I currently take:

• Protein powder – Great for hitting my protein goals when I’m lacking on the day
• Creatine – The most researched supplement in the market great for muscle growth and energy
• Vitamin C – A great boost to help prevent getting sick
• Fish Oil – Awesome for heart health
• Men’s Daily Vitamin – Helps me hit the smaller vitamins I could be missing out on
• Vitamin D – Works great for making up the lack of sunlight I get being inside often, especially during the winter
• Biotin – Great for healthy hair, skin, and nails

Key Point

The biggest thing to remember with supplements is to do your research! Supplements are not something you want to skimp out on when it comes to quality as many brands put cheap ingredients that are not beneficial for your body. A great place to find solid supplements is BodyBuilding.Com as they have a large number of reviews and even top 10 lists based on a series of reviews, quality scores, and much more!